Locking device for tractor clutch mechanism



, 11.479,2@ A. w. JOHNSON E1' AL LOCKING DEVICE FOR TRACTOR CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21. 1922 Patented dan. l, 3924i.

intatti VAXEL w.,JoHNsON AND ANDREW W. JOHNSON, or ROCK CREEK,.MINNESOTA.

i LOCKING DEVICE FOR TRACTOR CLUTCH MECHANISIVI.

Application tiled January 21, 1922. Serial No. 530,772.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, AXEL W. JOHNSON and ANDREW W. JOHNSON, citizens of. the United States, residing at town of Rock Creek, in the county of Pine and Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices for Tractor Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for use in connection with clutch control levers of gasoline tractors, and has for one of its objects to provide an attachment which is adapted to be readily attached to the tractor body adjacent the yclutch control lever thereof, for the purpose of arbitrarily holding the latter at the particular position it assumes when the clutch is in released state, that is, when the traction wheels are disconnected from the power `unit to render them inoperative. There are times when it is desirable, to have some means for holding the power unit disconnected from the drivers, especially in case of a break-down, when the tractor must be towed a considerable distance, Or when making certain repairs.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a device for the purpose set forth which may be readily attached, Without the necessity of cutting the tractor body or drilling and tapping eXtra holes, so thatv an inexperienced person could readily attach the device to certain makes of .tractors for which vthe device is designed to be used.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, we have shown our invention attached to thewell known Samson tractor, and to a Fordson tractor. Both of these tractors include in their outer structure, a circular cover plate which is secured in definite position by means of cap screws which are removable from the out-- side. Further, each. of these tractors has clutch controlling means adjacent said cover plates, of which fact we have taken advantage, to render our invention inexpensive to manufacture, practical as a useful attachment, and extremely simple to apply.

In the drawings:

Figure l, is a fragmentary perspective view of the side of a Samson tractor, showtionof the body of ing the belt wheel and its supporting shaft, and the cover plate withthe invention attached, adjacent said shaft.

Figure 2, is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure l.v I

Figure 3, is a fragmentary perspective viewy of theV outside of a Fordson tractor showing the cover plate, and the invention attached thereto.

Figure 4, is a top view of a part of Figure 3, showing the clutch control and cover plate. Figure 5, is a side view o f a lever embodying our invention. V

'Figure 6, is a perspective view of a detail of the lever, and

Figure 7, is a side elevation of a part of the clutch mechanism. v

A and B designate respectively al pora Samson and Fordson tractor. Y Y Y Y C and D designate respectively the cover plates of `said tractors and E and F respectively the clutch control vlevers thereof.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, l designates the belt wheel shaft carrying an inner bevel gear 2, in mesh with a bevel pinion 3 on the clutch shaft 4. The shaft carries a belt pulley 5', which latter is adapted to engage with the brake shoe 6, carried by the lever 7, said lever pivoted at 8, and `engaging at its top with the fulcrumed lever 9, the latter fulcrumed at l0.

A shaft 11 carries a lever arm l2, which latter is engaged by set screws 13 in the lever 7, so that when the lever E V'is' actuated downwardly t-he lever 7 will inturn, operate to release the disksof the clutch, which vlatter lare shown somewhat diagrammatically to indicate its operation. The shaft ll, when rotated, will compress (by means of rods 11) the spring 14, which normally presses the disks together, thereby releasing the disks. Simultaneously the brake shoe will engage the pulley' I5, to prevent it from running by momentum when the gears .are shifted to change the speed. The lever E is normally constantly held in the position shown by means of suitable spring means not shown. When in this position the clutch is engaged, so that when the operator wishes to release the clutch for the purpose of shifting gears or to reverse, the lever is depressed by the foot to the position shown in dotted 18 (Fig. 16'), "of 'theshoulder block 19 the latter being provided with a bolt hole 20.

" The lever is provided with a row of bolt holes21, suitably spaced and adapted to register with the hole 2O in the shoulder block 19, so that the block may be bolted to the lever 'at various positions. Theshoulder 'block is formed Vwith an outwardly and downwardly inclined shoulder 22 which extends from tlhe Vinner face of 'the leveras s best shown in Figure 5, and has its outer side inclii'red to form a feather edge 23 at its lupper end, whereby is formed 4a continuous somewhat smooth inclined approach to said shoulder, located on-the inner side of the lever.

- rlhe lever16 is isuitably fastened by means of one of thecap screws 15 to the side of thetractor aii'dfextends to and beyond the lever'E. The xshoulder block is then bolted in suitable'positionso'that when the lever 16 is vthjrust' downwardly it willfrictionally engage the inner side ofthe lever 16 and flex itoutwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Figure "5 'to permit'it to pass the shoulder block." `The lever will then spring inwardly and Vlock the clutch lever E in its downward position whereby as hereinafter 'described the rclutch `will `be released.

Y When it is desired to re-engage the clutch t'he'lever is 'pushed-downwardly by the foot and the lever-16 `vsprung outwardly to release the clutch lever. Referring to Figure 3, of the drawings, the clutch lever F of the Fordson tractor holds the clutch vin engagement when positioned as shownv in Figures 3 and 4. v'llVhen itis desired to release the clutch 'the' lever is depressed` similar to the lever 16.- above described, \'whereby the clutch is released. p

The cover plate D `is circular in form and is, also, held positioned by means of cap Screws 24 and is provided with an outwardly extending foot rest 25. The lever is constructed similar to the lever 16 excepting that at its lower extremity the voffset-at 26 is somewhat greater' than'V that of the lever 16 owing to the greater space at b (Fig. 4i) Y otherwise the ,leverswill operatev similar to the lever 16 on the 'Fordson tractor.' The shoulder block however', will be required to be adjusted to meet the dimensions in the Fordson tractorby means of the bolt holes Y 21 as the distance from the cap screws 2l to the lever varies slightly from that of the Samson tractor. Y l

rlfhe lever. 16, is preferably made thinner at c, so that it will be more easily flexed outwardly, but it is to be understood that it may beV made of relative thin flat bar steelv inthe path traversed by .said clutch lever when the .latter is manually moved downwardto effect a change of `operation of the clutch, and means for arbitrarily securing said shoulder member at different points on said lever to'fit different tractors, saidmeans including a Vrow of bolt holes extending longitudinally of the lever, and a4 block having a bolt hole in register with said row fof bolt holes, whereby it may be bolted to the. lever at. different locations, said block having 'a .downwardly facing end to form a shoulder, and being formed with a longitudinallywdisposed 4groove'.adapted to receive said lever to be slidable thereon, and an outer face `extending from the outer edge of said downwardly facing end, upwardly and-inwardly to the bottom of said groove to form a featheredge thereat, for the purposeV set forth. Y

In testimony whereof we affix our s1gnatures.l

Yfixer w. JonNsoN. l

ANDREW w. Jonsson. 

